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March 24, 1953 MARK r-:rm

MAGNETIC noon cLosURE AND SEAL Original Filed July 27, 1944 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I lnuenorfa U0 dL.Ande,r5on B VennceE.I"Iark 50c' Y M HT nega;

named Mu. 24, 1953 .2#6365'11 v MAGNn'rroDooRcLosUREANDSEAL* l ffl vennice vE:MarlrlaniiLloyd L.'An` derson,

Rapids, Mich., assig'norsto Winters & Crampf ton Corporation, @ammettiamo terrors-jj t 'origihsinofzltussgdatoanisy s1", istasei-mi f 'I` enclosed 'in heavy rol-no notification; `mottorprmtod-initauoafmaioatthe uncommon" This invention relates No. 546,889, Jolyz'z, "1944., u 'nsuepeember31,1949, seriallNo. 136,342,

- zaoiaimav-(Cizoss) f t v fs; 1 tip-pears in the original patent blut forms no pm of' this to door closures seals therefor an-dis more 'particularlyfdirectedfv to the c losingand sealing of doors such as refrig oratoi- 4doors through vni-aun1et-io attractioiiiwith j opmmgihiiuth the release of the door and its magnetic repulsion.

'It is important'in connection with'refrigeratoifs that the doors Which are at times 'momentarily opened "for access to its'content's' shall when closed be snugly '-an-d Itightly sealed entirely around 'the door to prevent the 'entrance of heat from vtneoutsmo to thereby minimize the oost er refrigeration andthe wear `upon the reirigeratingf machinery` consequently increasing efficiency.. The manufacture of doors and of the casing for refrigerators so as to produce Yan accurate seal in connection with'i-hand operated closing latches' for the doors requires close tolerances in order? that the sealing 'gasket whichis used between the door andrefrigerator 'case shall be as uni- Application for ref byreilue.

nectionfwith ja sealing gasket so as yto vconform' to` irregularities of surface `against which they are in contact engagement when the doors are in closed position: thereby providing a sure and ef'- fective ,seal enti-rely around the door or vsimilar closuraf, i An understanding of the invention may be had Ition substantially on theplane of line 3 -3 of lFig. 2, 'and formly pressed upon at al1 points as possible and,

not; lhave a part of the 'gasket over compressed and other pants Athereof compressed toa kmuch less degree. The present invention-provides an effective seal and 'closure for a l refrigerator vdoor even though the surfaces of the door and of the t front edges of the casing against which'the door engages, and between which and the door'the sealing gasket is located, are not manufactured with as close tolerances as heretofore required though-the provision of a novel door. sealing gasket of a, flexible nature which vcarries magnetic `ineens for attracting armatures mounted on the door toward said magnetic' means, thereby drawing Ithe door into close sealing engagement with the gasket, the sealing being immediately between the outer side of the flexible gasket and 'the adjacent contacting surfaces at the inner side of the door. .this irrespective or the degree of I compression and forcing inward of the body of thegasket which may vary' in accordance with the surface to which the gasket is attached and the complementary surface on the door engaging against the outer side of the gasket I't is a' primary object and purposeof the present invention to provide a m-agneticalllycperated door 1 closure and. sealing constructiomi particu'- l-arly adapted vfor refrigerators `lto further providea' practical, simple effective and"economi-7L calmeans f or releasing the 'doo'r' closure'ffor'opejn'f .ments .which are thus magneticallyv attracted or 55 repulsed eiribly and movablyniounted inconf edges and said gasket between Fig; 4iso. diagrammatic viewillustrative'of-the'l armatures which in 'practice are carried on the refrigerator casing and which'by closing fthe electric circuit become the'cores of electromagnets'in open-ing the door closure by magneticrepulsion. 25

Life referencer characters refer to like parts Ithe different figures' of the drawings.

Therefrigerator l has an openinglatthe front I through which the placing or removal ofi-the contents of the refrigeratoris made, said opening being closedby a door 2 hinged at one vertical edge at the usual and convention-a1 manner, (In lthevform of my invention as illustrated thedoor r2 has an outside sheet vmetal member I at the inner side of which; atleast adjacentthe upper and lower side" edges of the door, is a plate I of non-magnetic material. VThe specific construe? tion of the door, its heat insulation and the likeV l forming no part of the t presen-t invention, are not shown and described.

Upon the inner nonemagnetic member l a flex` ible gasket 5 of rubber o r'similar elasticsealing material is secured by means of screws or equiv# alent fastenings. The gasket 5 extends entirely around the inner face of the door Aadjacent its a central thinuflexible portion spaced away from.

theplatel and' providing a lcontinuous elongated,

chamber within'which apluralityfof permanentmagnets farehlocated in succession around the. x50

outer vedeie DOItions material as and ymolded .with

ably approximately i six inches specinc'legt'h of the magnets is not any essential its side edges has lor the door being secured 1 within an; integral inner covering 1go: thesamet ,v l l Y' t the gasket 5. Whilef in practice the pluralityof magnets are preferinflengtinsuch nasse feature oi' the invention as the lengths may be varied. The magnets are U-shaped in cross secftion, the spaced legs thereof providing opposite poles, as indicated in Fig. 2, one being indicated as the north and the other the south pole by the respective characters N and S. The outer edges of said legs of the magnet are against the inner side of the .thin flexible central portion of the gasket 5 as shown.

Around the opening in the refrigerator which is closed by said door the refrigerator casing is provided with channel shaped supports of non-magnetic material having an inner web 8 and spaced parallel sides 9 which are turned outwardly in anges I as shown. Said channels are inserted in the refrigerator casing at the top, bottom and sides of the opening which is closed by the door. and are secured to the adjacent parts of the refrigerator I by screws or other suitable connections. The outer open sides of the channels are closed by thin plates I I also of non-magnetic material. When ,the door is closed the central exible portions of the gasket entirely around the door at its inner side come against the thin exible non-magnetic plates II approximately midway between the sides 5 of the channels described.

Within the channel supports a-p1urality of armatures I2 are mounted in spaced relation to each other, each being bent into an approximately U-shape and with the free ends elongated and extended` from the central U-shaped portion in both directions therefrom as shown at I3 in Fig. 3 providing in effect bars, the surfaces of which are directly opposite the poles :of themermanent magnets- 6. With the lengths of the magnets approximating six inches the total over all lengths of the bar portions I3 will likewise be approximately six inches to conform with magnets B with which they are associated. The several armatures described are held in place by suitable fastenings, for example, screws I4 passing through the sides 9 of the channel supports therefor.

It is evident thatsaid armatures made of 'soft iron or other equivalent magnetic material will be attracted by the magnet 6 when the refrigerator door is shut causing the door to be held shut securely throughout the entire length of the-seal and thus insure an air tight condition around the peripheral portions of the door. Any imperfection of t in the door or hinges does not affect the secure operation of the seal as the seal is governed wholly by magnetic Aforce instead of the conventional mechanical force of the door being held in place as by a latch. The flexibility of the' seal insures a' true and substantially perfect sealing contact.

The armatures at I2 may be converted into cores of electromagnets. Windings I5 around the intermediate portions of theA armatures I2 connected in series by circuit wires I6, with said circuit wires connected with a source of electric current, conventional indicated at I1, provide a construction such that when electric current is passed through the circuit and through said windings, cause said armatures to become the cores of electromagnets, the opposite end bars I3 being opposite poles of said magnets. Normally the circuit at I6 is open but may be closed by a switch interposed in the circuit diagrammatically indicated at I8 When the switch is closed and an electric current flows through the circuit and magnet windings included therein, the terminal bars I3 of the armatures I2 being placed opposite the poles of electromagnets B, and with the current directed in the proper direction so that like poles of said electromagnets just made and of the permanent magnet Ii oppose each other, there is a magnetic repulsion which not only releases the seal but releases and repels the door for opening. As soon as the switch at I8 is released so that the circuit is interrupted the bars I3 at the ends of the armatures I2 become again simply armatures which are attracted by the magnets 6 when the door is closed so as to move them within the range of the elds of attraction of said magnets.

The switch at I8 for example may be a push button switch automatically released upon pressure being removed therefrom. To obtain repulsion between the magnets and the electromagnets thus momentarily produced it is necessary to pass direct current or a uni-directional pulsating current through the circuit and windings thereof. The source of electrical energy, indicated at I'I, which might be a battery but in general would be taken from the electric wiring of the house where the refrigerator is located, if not of this direct or uni-directional pulsating current required, that is, if it was alternating current as ordinarily found in the household, is changed to direct or uni-directional pulsating current by using a rectifier, well known for such purposes.

The invention described is practical, economical and effective. It is very desirable in connection with the reduction of cost in the manufacture of the door and of the parts of the refrigerator,betweenwhich and the door the sealing gasket is placed, getting away from the close A understood that a reversing of such positions is within the scope of our invention. Other changes in position, reversal of parts or equivalents are to be understood as comprehended by our invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. The combination, members including a door and a casing having a door opening which the door is 'to close, one of said members carrying a flexible gasket of a shape to surround said door opening securely attached to said member, said gasket being provided with magnets therein and movable therewith in the fiexing of said gasket, the other of said members being provided with armatures having end portions to lie in opposition to the poles of said magnets when the door is closed and be attracted thereto, windings connected around said armatures in an electric circuit, a source of electric current connected with said circuit, and a switch in said circuit whereby closing the circuit will change said armatures into cores of electromagnets having poles in conjunction with the poles of the magnets carried by said gasket to create repulsion to release the door and casing from each other.

2. The combination including a door and a door jamb therefor, said door carrying a. flexible gasket adapted to be brought into engagement with and pressed against the door jamb, said gasket being provided with a magnet lengthwise thereon and said door jamb being provided with an electromagnet having a core, the end portions of :which are ini the eldyof magnetic attraction-v of said magnet when thea gasket isi; brought against saiddoor jamb.andmeansfor energizing the electromagnetto create repulsionbetween it and thev magnet carried by said ilexible gasket;

"3. The combination including'a door'fand door jamb members, of a exible gasket onone of said members adapted to be brought against the other surfaces of which said gasket is brought when thedoor is closed, magnetic means carried by said casing adjacent the surfaces of said door .lambs against which the gasket bears and cooperating magnetic means-carried -by-said gasket for creating magnetic'attraction` to press said gasket against said door jamb surfaces, and electric means for breaking said magnetic attraction and creating repulsion to release the door and repel it from said door jambs. I

5. A case having an opening doorr a door for closing the opening movably mounted onvthecase, a ilexible gasket carried by. the door `to surround said opening and bear against said case around the opening when the door is closed, a plurality of permanentmagn-ets located in the length of and .within the gasket and movable therewith, a plurality of armatures having end portions formed into bars which parallel the poles of said permanent: magnets and zare in close proximity thereto` when the door is closed, said armatures being of softferrous material attracted by said magnets, and an electrical means forconverting all of said armatures into impermanent magnets having poles directly opposite like poles of the'permanent magnets carried by said gasket, as specified.

6. A construction having the elements in combination defined in claim 5, and supporting means of elongated channel form mounted at said casing around the door opening therein having theopen sides oi the channels presented outwardly, means for supporting said armatures within said channel supports,` and covering members. of` nonmagnetic material secured to and over the open sides of said channel supports againstthe inner side of whichithe ends of said armatures arelocated.

7. In a construction of the class described, a sealing gasket for application .to doors vcomprising an elongated member of flexible compressible nonmagnetic material, means at the longitudinal edge portions of said gasket for securing it to a door, the intermediate longitudinal portion of said gasket being of thin section and providing a continuous longitudinal enclosed chamber between it and the surface of the door to which; attached, an elongated permanent magnet, substantially U-sha-pe in cross section, located within said chamber longitudinally thereof, and a covering and holding `envelope for said magnet of the same material as and integrallyv formed with` the gasket, as speciled.l l

'8. A sea-ling gasket for refrigerator .doors comprising, an elongated member of flexible, :compressible, nonmagnetic plastic materiall provided therein closed'by al with edge `portions atits 'sidesy adapted vv tobe located -against andsecuredto theface of a door,

and with an integral thin arched elongatedinter-,- mediate portion betweenl said attaching edge por-V tions, a plurality `of permanent magnets located in end to `end relation at the inner sideoiA said intermediate portionkof the gasket, said .permanent magnets being substantially U -shape in cross section, and with. the ends of the legs thereof Vbearing n against the inner'sides Lof the gasket to thereby present Atheir poles toward the outer side of thev gasket, and means of nonmagnetic material ser` curing said-magnets to said gasket. n

9. In a, construction of the class described, a` supportL of nonmagnetic material having spaced` apart sidesadapted to besecured at the front of and inserted int-o adoor` jamb, a covering of nonmagnetic material between said sides of thesupport atthe face of said door jamb, aplurality of cores of soft iron substantially U-shapedlinform located between and mounted upon said sides of the support, the legspf said cores extending toward said plate and termnatingin-bars substantially'paralleling each other havingtheir outer facesin substantially contacting engagement with the inner side of said plate, and lelectric circuit ofy which is an electric magnet, said magnets having 'pole faces brought into adjacent relationship when the dooris closed, and adapted when the door is closed to attracteach other and hold the door closed, means for mounting and supporting one of said magnets said means providing a seal between thedoor member and jamb member when said members are brought together, and means for selectivelyenergizing said `electromagnet to cause the ends of the core thereof to have a like polarity with those of the other magnet torepel the door memberfrom said jamb member.

11. In a construction of the class described,y a-'casing member having a door opening therein, a door member for closing said opening, a sealing gasket of compressible material secured to one of said members and extending entirely aroundthe inner face of the door adjacent its edges when said gasket is in sealing position, one face portion of lthel gasket being adapted when the door member is closed and the gasket 'is in said sealing position to abut against the member to which it is not secured, said gasket being provided with an interiorly disposed channel attached to the inside face of said member-abutting portion of the gasket, magnetically attractable material disposed linearly of vsaid gaslcet and formed so that said gasket may fieras it is moved into sealing position to accommodate any imperfection in the 'face-to-face fit between said members, the other member'having magnetically-,attractable material 4as, part thereof, said latter material being substantially coextensive atleast linearly with the gasket'magnetically attractable material whensaid door .is closed, at least onerof said magnetically-attractable ymaterials being magnetized, to cause the mating attraction between the two4 members to close said f loor against said casing` and compress said'gasa casing member having a door opening therein, a door member for closing said opening, a sealing gasket of compressible material secured to onevof said members and extending entirely around the inner face of the door adjacent the door edges when in sealing position, one face portion of the gasket being adapted to abut against the member to which it is not secured when the door is closed and the gasket is in sealing position, at least one of the longitudinal side edge portions of said'gasket normally abutting the member to which the gasket is secured, said gasket including an interiorly disposed channel spaced away from said one member and adjacent said other member when said door is in closed position, magnetically attractable means positioned within said channel and formed so that said gasket may be flexed to accommodate imperfections in flt between said members, and the other of said members having magnetically--attractable means as part thereof, at least one of said last two recited means being magnetieed and said two means being so located with respect to said members and said gasket as to be magnetically attracted to each other over substantially the entire length of said gasket when said door member is in closed position thereby to effect a seal between said gasket and said other member.

13. In a construction of the class described, a casing member having a door opening therein, a door member for closing said opening, a sealing gasket of compressible material secured to one of said members and extending entirely around the inner face of the door adjacent the door edges when in sealing position, one face portion of the gasket being adapted to abut against the member to which it is not secured when the door is closed and the gasket is in sealing position, said gasket having longitudinally extending side edge portions normally abutting the member to which the gasket is secured and at least a part of the inwardly disposed longitudinal side edge portion being flexibly displaceable from the member to which the gasket is secured, said gasket including an interiorly disposed channel spaced away from said one member and adjacent said other member when said door is in closed position, magnetically-attractable means positioned within said channel and formed so that said gasket may be flexed to accommodate imperfections in fit between said members, and said other member having magnetically-attractable means as part thereof, at least one of said last two recited magnetically-attractable means being magnetized and said two means being so located with respect to said members and said gasket as to be magnetically attracted to each other over substantially the entire length of said gasket when said door member is in closed position thereby to effect a seal between said gasket and said other member around the peripheral portions of the door,

14, A casing having an opening therein, a door movably mounted on said casing for closing the opening, a flexible gasket extending entirely around the inner face of the door adjacent its edges to form an air seal for said casing when said door is closed, a plurality of magnets located lengthwise of and within said gasket, said casing having as part thereof magnetically attractable portions in mateable relation at least with said gasket magnets to attract said door into air-sealing relation with the casing, and means comprising a member operable from the exterior of the casing for disabling said magnetic doorholding and causing said door to be forced open and away from said casing.

15. In a construction of the class described comprising a casing member having an opening and door member for closing said opening, a sealing gasket adapted to extend entirely around the inner face of the door member adjacent its edges and comprising an elongated member of flexible compressible nonmagnetic material having longitudinally extending edge portions and a longitudinally extending portion intermediate said edge portions, at least one of the longitudinally extending edge portions of said gasket formed to adapt it to be secured to one of said members, the longitudinal portion of said gasket intermediate its edges being of thin section and providing a continuous longitudinal enclosed chamber between it and the surface of the member to which attached, and an elongated permanent magnet whose emanant flux patterns are similar to those from U-shaped magnets located within said chamber and extending longitudinally thereof.

16. A sealing gasket for refrigerator doors comprising an elongated member of flexible compressible, nonmagnetic material provided with edge portions at its sides which portions are adapted to be located against the face of a door and with an integral thin arched elongated intermediate portion between said edge portions, a plurality of permanent magnets located in end-to-end relation at the inner side of said intermediate portion of the gasket, said permanent magnets having flux-line patterns similar to those from U-shaped magnets and the flux lines therefrom impinging against the inner side of the gasket and passing outwardly of the outer side of the gasket, and means of nonmagnetic material securing said magnets to said gasket.

17. In a construction of the class described, a casing having an opening therein, a door member mounted for movement into and o ut of airsealing abutment with the casing surrounding said opening, a sealing gasket of flexible material having a longitudinally-extending edge portion thereof secured to one of said members along the sealing periphery thereof and said gasket being abuttable with the other of said members when said door is closed, said gasket including an internally arranged magnetically attractable portion comprising a plurality of individual aligned elements, the other of said members having magnetically attractable portions arranged at least along the line of abutment of said gasket with said other member, at least one of said portions being magnetized, whereby said gasket and said other member are magnetically attracted and sealed over substantially the entire door-sealing periphery when the door is moved into magnetic proximity to the casing, said magnetically attractable portion of said gasket being movable a sufilcient distance with respect to the member on which the gasket is mounted to permit the magnetic attraction between said gasket and said other member to bring said movable gasket portion into continuous sealing contact with said other member in spite of irregularities in the gasket-engaging surface thereof.

18. In a construction of the class described, a casing member having an opening therein, a door member mounted for movement into and out of air-sealing abutment with the casing portion surrounding said opening, a sealing gasket of flexible material having inner and outer side edge portions extending longitudinally of its length-and being securedto the member with members along the length yofthe seal around thepergipheral portions. vof the door and said gas- -ket being abuttablewith thelother ofsaid mem- :bers whenasaid/ doorjis closed, said gasket including lan internally arranged magnetically at-v tractable portion comprising a plurality of individual aligned elements, the other of said members having a magnetically attractable portion arranged at least along the line of abutment of said gasket with said other member, at least one of said portions being magnetieed to cause said gasket and said other member to be magnetically attracted and sealed over substantially the entire door seal when the door is moved into magnetic proimity to the casing, said gasket including a channel in which said magnetically attractable aligned members are carried, the channel and aligned members being movable a suicient distance with respect to the member on which the gasket is mounted to permit the magnetic attraction between said gasket and said other member to bring said movable gasket portion into continuous contact with said other member throughout the length of the seal around the peripheral portions of the door in spite of irregularities in the gasket-engaging surface thereof.

19. In a construction of the class described, a casing member having an opening therein, a door member movably mounted to close said opening, a sealing gasket of flexible comprestherein, a door movably mounted with respect to said casing 4,forlabuttingthe v,casing portion 3ur rounding said opening and vclosing the latter, a

fleatiblel gasket 'carried-bythe door to surround said opening r`'an'd""'be`ar againstfsind`v cabinet around said opening when thedoor is closed, a magnetic entity associated,lengthwisef and within. said gasket, said casing comprising magnetically 'attractableareasv` positioned substansible material secured to one of said members at the face thereof and extending thc length of the seal around the peripheral portions of the door, a permanent magnet positioned in said gasket so that the latter may be flexed and sufficiently coextensive linearly therewith that upon the same being brought into magnetically attractable distance from the other of said members, said other member having as a part thereof material which is magnetically attractable at least throughout the same linear dimension as said gasket, the two members will be brought automatically together to compress said gasket in sealing relation between -said members.

20. In a construction of the class described, a casing member having an opening therein, a door member movably mounted to be brought into closing relationship with the casing portion surrounding said opening, a sealing gasket of flexible compressible material secured to one of said members at the face thereof and erttending the length of the seal around the peripheral portions of the door, said gasket being provided with an interiorly disposed channel attached to the inside surface of the member-engaging side of the gasket, a permanent magnet operable with said gasket so that said gasket may be flcrced and sulciently coetensive linearly therewith that upon the gasket being brought into magnetically attractable distance from the other of said members, said other member having magnetically attractable material extending at least throughout the same linear dimension as said gasket, the two members will be brought automatically together to compress said gasket in sealing relation between said members, said magnet comprising a plurality of short members of magnetic material disposed in touching end-toend relation within the gasket channel.

21. A refrigerator casing having an opening tiallyvopposite the e'ective portions ofsaid gasket magnet entity as the door' approachesclosed position, said cabinet and gasket magnetic portions being y'ointly effective throughout the sealing length of said gasket to position the latter in air-sealing relation between the door and the casing when the opening in the latter is closed by said door.

22. A casing having an opening therein, a door for closing the opening movably mounted on the casing, a flexible gasket carried by the door to surround said opening and bear against said casing around the opening when the door is closed, a plurality of permanent magnets supported in association with said door lengthwise within the gasket and adapted to move said gasket towards the casing when they are attracted, said casing having as part thereof magnetically attractive portions positioned opposite the location of said door-carried magnets as said door moves to closing position-wherefrom said door is air sealably closed with respect to said casing, and means cooperating with said magnetic door closure for disabling said magnetic attraction and opening said door.

23. As a subcombination adapted for use in connection with a casing member having an opening and a door member mounted on said casing and movable to close said opening, a product of manufacture consisting of a sealing gasket of flexible compressible material for sealing a perimetrical joint between the opening in such a casing member and such a door member, said gasket having a longitudinally-extending portion for securing to one of such members, and a second longitudinally-etending portion for releasably engaging the other of said members, and magnetically-attractable means located in said second portion of said gasket and extending over substantially the entire length thereof in sumcient proximity to render any predetermined length of said product magnetically attractable over its entire length.

24. As a subcombination adapted for use in connection with a casing member having an opening and a door member mounted on said casing and movable to close said opening, a, product of manufacture consisting of a sealing gas ket of flexible compressible material for sealing said channel and extending over substantially the entire length of said gasket in suflcient prozimity to render any predetermined length of said product magnetically attractable over its entire length.

VENNICE E. MARK. LLOYD L. ANDERSON.

(References on following Page) Name Date Dubiller July 7, 1942 Boggs May 18, 1943 Mark et al. Aug. 3, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country I Date Great Britain 1884 Great Britain July 25, 1941 

